PC game sales dip

Video game sales figures for the first ten months of 2002 are in, and so far, PC game sales dropped just over 6% from the same period last year. Much of the decline has been attributed to the popularity of new game consoles, which are much cheaper than PCs capable of playing the latest titles. A $200 Xbox is pretty tough to beat as far as value is concerned; it can even boot Linux.

I can't help but wonder if part of the decline in PC game sales has to do with the growing replay value of recent multiplayer titles, especially ones supported by active mod development communities. User-created mods are great for consumers, despite their potential to cannibalize a game sale here and there, because they offer something that game consoles just can't compete with.